Frequently Asked Questions

In general, a student must demonstrate that they meet all of the following criteria:

1. The student is expected to live in Ohio for a full, 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the semester for which they are applying for residency. The expectation is that the student should not be absent from the state any longer than breaks between semesters and 3 weeks during the summer.

2. The student should demonstrate their intent to become an Ohio resident by transferring any items of registration to Ohio such as a driver's license, automobile registration, and voter registration (if applicable).

3. The student must demonstrate that during the 12-month period while establishing residency, that they have had sufficient income to meet all expenses without the need of money from outside the State of Ohio. Documentation of income sources used during the 12-month period is required.

Yes. Students are responsible for reporting and being financially capable of paying for the upkeep, gas, and car insurance of a car they either own or have the complete use of during their residency review period.

You may be eligible for "instant residency" , C-3, if you are dependent upon a parent who is working full-time and has established domicile in Ohio before the beginning of a semester. You may be eligible if you are a dependent spouse of a person who has begun working full-time and established domicile in Ohio for reasons other than gaining the benefit of a state-supported education. Refer to C-3 in the residency guidelines for information on how to apply for this type of residency.

No. To be eligible for instant residency, a student must be dependent upon a spouse or parent who has full-time employment in Ohio. A graduate fellowship or assistantship is not considered full-time employment. The student could apply for regular residency once s/he lived in Ohio for 12 months. At that time, the income earned by the spouse through a fellowship or assistantship would be considered eligible income (if earned in Ohio).

No. A student cannot qualify for C-3 "instant residency" through other relatives, fiancee's, in-laws, etc. A student may only be reviewed for "instant residency" through their dependency upon a parent/legal guardian or spouse who is living and working on a full-time basis in Ohio.

Marriage to a person living in Ohio does not automatically make you an Ohio resident for tuition purposes. The person you marry must qualify as a resident for all legal purposes. See C-1 of the Guidelines and the Ohio Board of Regents Guidelines for the definition of an Ohio resident for all legal purposes.

The residency guidelines allow students to be considered residents if they have a legal guardian who is an Ohio resident. However, setting up a legal guardianship with an Ohio resident in order to qualify for residency is not permitted. The burden of proof is upon the student to show that a legal guardianship was not arranged in order for the student to gain residency. In general, the expectation will be that the legal guardianship has been in effect for at least 12 months, and that the student has been financially dependent upon the legal guardian during that time. The student's relationship and involvement with his or her parents will also be a consideration.

The state residency guidelines have two "grandfather clauses" to address this. If your parents are Ohio residents and move out of the state while you are an enrolled resident student at The University of Akron, you will continue to be classified as a resident through the completion of one degree program, provided that you maintain continuous fulltime enrollment (2 out of 3 semesters each year). If you apply for a second degree program (i.e. graduate or professional school), your residency will be reviewed and you will have to meet the residency criteria on your own.

Similarly, if you are a dependent student applying for admission to The University of Akron and your Ohio resident parents move out of the state, you will be considered a resident as long as you enroll within 12 months of the date your parents physically moved out of Ohio. A student would then have to maintain continuous fulltime enrollment (2 out of 3 semesters each year). Students will be required to submit proof of when their parents sold their home in Ohio (or ended an apartment lease) and physically left Ohio in addition to when their employment ended in Ohio. When a parent physically leaves Ohio and also ends their employment are both factors in determining when a parent has left Ohio and 12 month period begins for which a student must enroll.

The Ohio Board of Regents Guidelines allow Ohio residents 12 months out of the state before they "lose" their residency. If you leave the state for more than 12 months, your residency will likely be questioned. For example, if you accept employment in another state, you would likely lose your residency after 12 months. It is important to consider future residency implications when planning a move or extended stay outside Ohio.

In determining a person's eligibility for residency, the state guidelines are primarily concerned only with the 12-month period immediately preceding the term for which the student is applying for residency. The cumulative time a person lived in Ohio is not relevant if the person has been away from Ohio for more than the 12 months immediately preceding enrollment.

As long as a dependent student has one parent who has been an Ohio resident for at least the 12 months immediately preceding enrollment, they will be considered a resident whether or not the student actually lives in Ohio. To apply for residency, see C-1 documentation required.

For individuals who are on full-time, active duty status with the military, or in the Ohio National Guard, the state has three exceptions in the residency guidelines:

1. If you are an Ohio resident on full-time, active duty status with the military, you and your dependents are considered residents as long as Ohio has remained your state of domicile and you have fulfilled your tax obligation to the state while on active duty.

2. If you are not an Ohio resident but are stationed in Ohio on a full-time, active duty status, you and your dependents will be considered residents for tuition purposes.

3. If you are a person who is a member of the Ohio National Guard and who is domiciled in Ohio, you and your dependents will be considered residents for tuition purposes.

Yes, per university rule 3359-60-04.1 students who disagree with the residency officer’s residency determination may appeal the decision by submitting a letter of appeal to the university registrar. The student may request in the letter of appeal to appear personally before the committee and may employ counsel at his or her expense. The university registrar shall transmit this letter of appeal to the chair of the committee on residence status, which shall conduct a hearing on the merits of the previously submitted validation of Ohio residency status form. The decision of the committee on residence status shall be final.

Employment income earned as cash is only eligible for any type of residency (particularly C-2 & E-1) if it is subject to Ohio taxation. The impetus is on the student to provide proof that the income has been subject to Ohio taxation. Otherwise it is ineligible income.

Not necessarily. If you are trying to establish residency in Ohio, paying taxes in Ohio is an indicator of your intent to become an Ohio resident. However, you must meet all the residency criteria to be eligible for residency for tuition purposes.

If a person is financially independent, they must be a U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident Alien, Political Asylee, Political Refugee, or hold a A, E, G, H, I, L, O, P, R, TC, TD or TN visa to be eligible for review as an in-state resident for tuition purposes. If a student is financially dependent upon a spouse or parent, the person they are dependent upon must also must be a U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident Alien, Political Asylee or Political Refugee, or hold a A, E, G, H, I, L, O, P, R, TC, TD or TN visa in order for the student to qualify to be reviewed for in-state residency. Students who hold an B, F, J, or M visa are not eligible to establish Ohio residency unless they are financially dependent upon a spouse or parent who is a bona fide Ohio resident. This is defined as a person who meets the criteria established in the Ohio Board of Regent's Guidelines and is also a U.S. citizen, Permanent Resident Alien, Political Asylee, Political Refugee, or hold an A, E, G, H, I, L, O, P, R, TC, TD or TN visa. (NOTE: This change was made by the Ohio Board of Regents and is effective July 28, 2003.) Students whose immigration status is pending are eligible to establish Ohio residency only if their most recent immigration status was eligible to establish Ohio residency. Financially dependent is defined as having been claimed for tax purposes since birth.

The following are examples of some of the income documents you may submit with your petition: W-2 forms, pay stubs, financial aid award letters, notarized letters of support from Ohio residents, bank statements, and statements showing receipt of government benefits.

The following are examples of income sources that would not be viewed as eligible from a residency standpoint:

- Support from individuals who are not residents of Ohio- PLUS loan money because these types of loans are taken out by the student's parents- Personal loans (Loans not from a financial institution- Loans with a co-borrower- Savings that have not been in an account in your name for at least one year prior to the beginning of your residency review period- Financial aid that required you to be a resident of another state in order to receive it- Credit card debt.

Obtaining an Ohio driver's license and registering to vote in Ohio demonstrates your intent to make Ohio your state of residence. Since the Ohio Board of Regents Guidelines are meant to exclude from residency those who are in Ohio for educational purposes only, transferring these items of registration is a way to show that you intend to become an Ohio resident.

The expectation is that students who are in the process of establishing their residency are physically living in the State of Ohio for the 12 consecutive months prior to the semester for which they are requesting reclassification. Leaving the state for the summer or for any length of time longer than a 3-week period seriously jeopardizes your claim to Ohio residency. Students that leave Ohio for internships, study abroad, etc. during their residency review period for any period longer than three weeks must submit a letter from their college office stating that the student was encouraged to participate in the internship or program and that it was approved by the college. Students must also maintain their home in Ohio while in the other state on the internship. Proof that their home in Ohio was maintained will be required which will include but is not limited to copies of canceled checks for the payment of rent, copies of leases, or documents proving the purchase of a home in Ohio. If these documents cannot be provided the absence will cause a denial of residency. Any income earned during the internship in another state is not eligible towards residency.

Savings, mutual funds, stocks, etc., may be used as income during a 12 month residency review period if the account(s) and funds are determined as eligible. If you have used savings, mutual funds, stocks, etc., that are in your name, you must also prove that you had these funds in your possession 12 months prior to the beginning of your residency review period. The residency review period is the 12 months preceding the semester you wish to be reclassified as a resident. The student must demonstrate and provide documentation proving that they had control over the funds if any other persons name is listed on the account. Eligibility of the account(s) and final determination will be decided by the Registrar's Office if another name is on the account other than the students. You will then be required to submit a minimum of three account statements: a copy of your account statement from one year prior to the start of your 12-month review period; a copy of your account statement from the beginning of your 12-month review period; and a copy of your most recent account statement. The balance from your most recent account statement will be subtracted from your account statement at the start of your 12-month review period. This "difference" in the balance is the amount you may report as savings used during your review period. This is the amount of savings, mutual funds, stocks, etc., that have been used to cover your expenses during your residency review period. The amount of savings, mutual funds, stocks, etc., that you had in your possession 12 months prior to the beginning of your residency review period is the amount that will be eligible to use as a beginning balance at the beginning of your review period. Students are not allowed to be "gifted" a sum of money, less than 12 months prior to the beginning of their review period, to use towards mutual.